Judge Yvonne Murphy's report into the handling of clerical abuse in
the Diocese of Cloyne may be further delayed.
It is understood that at least one of the parties dealt with in the
report is expected to exercise the right to a judicial review and ask
the High Court to adjudicate on the contents of the report with
particular reference to mentions of one individual in the text.
This is in addition to the expected High Court review requested by the Minister for Justice.
The commission - originally established to investigate the handling
of allegations of abuse made against priests in Dublin - was extended to
cover the Diocese of Cloyne in 2009.
The decision to extend the remit came after a report by the National
Board for Safeguarding Children found that child safeguarding policies
operated by then Bishop John Magee were inadequate.
Publication
The report is currently being studied by the Attorney General Paul Gallagher, who will advise on what parts may be published.
It will also be sent to the office of the Director of Public
Prosecutions, James Hamilton, to ensure that none of the persons named
in the report is currently facing trial and could have the case against
them prejudiced by publication.
Legislation also provides that the Minister can submit the report to
the High Court for adjudication on whether it should be published in
full or in a redacted form.
However, at least one individual named in the report is to seek a judicial
review into the proposed publication which could considerably delay the
publication of the final report.
The report looks at a representative sample of complaints or
allegations of child sexual abuse made to the diocesan and other
Catholic Church authorities and public and State authorities in the
period January 1 1996 to February 1 2009.
Archbishop Dermot Clifford was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the
administrator of Cloyne in early 2009 and Bishop Magee resigned a year
later having come in for a sustained level of criticism.
SIC: IT/IE